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Dear NPCA Advocates,
We need you...to take action with the United States Senate.
Find several actions below and other news in our July advocacy update. |
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Critical Senate Subcommittee Vote for Peace Corps Funding
The Senate Appropriations Subcommitte on State/Foreign Operations is slated to vote as early as this Thursday, July 9th on funding for the Peace Corps and other international affairs programs for Fiscal Year 2010.
The House Appropriations Committee has already championed a $450 million recommendation for Peace Corps. But similar action in the Senate is far from certain. The subcommittee has been provided with a funding ceiling that is less than a two percent increase over current funding levels.
Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy chairs the Subcommittee and will have a vital role to play in the funding decision.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION: Contact Senator Leahy and urge him to "support a $450 million Peace Corps appropriation for Fiscal Year 2010." Read the latest from the Huffington Post. You can call Senator Leahy's office at 202-224-4242. It is especially important that you reach out to people in Vermont and ask them to take this 30-second action.
If your Senator is a member of the State/Foreign Operations subcommittee, or if you know someone who is represented by them, please continue to call and email, urging them to support a $450 Million Peace Corps appropriation for Fiscal Year 2010. |
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Dodd Introduces the "Peace Corps Improvement and Expansion Act"
On June 25th, Conneticut Senator Chris Dodd (Dominican Republic 66-68) introduced Senate Bill 1382 which would double funding for the Peace Corps over the next three years. The legislation also calls upon the agency to thoroughly assess itself, as well as "develop a comprehensive strategic plan for reforming and revitalizing the organization". It would also limit the number of political appointees at the agency to fifteen.
The $450 million included in the first year of Senator Dodd's legislation is the same request found in H.R. 1066, the Peace Corps Expansion Act, introduced in the House by Congressman Sam Farr. Second and third year funding figures in the Dodd bill ($575 million in FY 2011 and $700 million in FY 2012) are slightly below the House legislation.
Two Senators, Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) have co-sponsored the legislation at this time.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION: Contact your Senators and ask them to co-sponsor S.1382, the Peace Corps Improvement and Expansion Act
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Sign the Petition to Senator Inouye Urging Him to Champion Peace Corps in Upcoming Vote
The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Hawaii are circulating an online petition in advance of their meeting with the office of Hawaii's senior Senator, Daniel Inouye, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a member of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION: You can add your voice in asking Senator Inouye to lead the effort to champion a $450 million Peace Corps appropriation. Follow this link and Sign the petition!
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Climate Conversations Tour to Connect with Fellow RPCVs
RPCV Paul Thompson (Malaysia 70-73) is touring select states through July to connect with fellow RPCVs on the issue of climate change. As a passionate advocate for the need for global action on climate change, he believes this is an especially pertinent issue for former Peace Corps volunteers, to address the threats faced by developing nations where they served.
Paul kicked off his tour with a morning gathering in Rockford Illinois on July 3rd, connecting with a small group of local residents including several Rockford RPCVs.
Next stop on the trip is Jacksonville, Florida. And that's not all...follow this link to view the full itinerary.
If you are not in the area of these climate conversations, but want to find out how you can help, contact advocacy@peacecorpsconnect.org or join our climate/clean energy group on Peace Corps Connect. |
RESULTS Activists Conclude Annual Conference
Many RPCVs who felt the need for change after witnessing the plight of impoverished communities found opportunities for action through RESULTS, a grassroots advocacy organization committed to creating the political will to end hunger and the worst aspects of poverty.
Some of them traveled to Washington recently to attend the 2009 International Conference, Empowering People to End Poverty.
You can learn more about the conference and the work of RESULTS by following this link to their conference blog. |
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Featured Advocate: Joe Ford, Fairfax, VA
So much of the work that advances successful advocacy initiatives happens behind the scenes. Such was the case at the recent MorePeaceCorps rally in Washington, which featured a one hundred foot banner that allowed people to write messages to President Obama about the Peace Corps. This great idea came from the planning of MorePeaceCorps Campaign Coordinator Rajeev Goyal and Advisory Council Member Larry Leamer. And when the call came out to implement the idea, Joe Ford (Zambia 94-96) stepped up.
Joe has been involved in organizing a variety of events since returning from Peace Corps, as a seven-year Board officer for the RPCVs of Washington DC and as a member of the Hispanic Employee Program at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Joe used a good portion of a day off from work to take the lead on securing a banner, connecting with a local sign maker he had used for other events.
"At first, I was a little worried that we might not be able to fill the banner with messages. But by the end of the day, I was happily pleased to see it filled with more than 200 messages and signatures."
More signatures have been collected since then, and there's still time to drop by the NPCA offices to add your message to the President, before the banner is delivered.
Joe notes "there are infinite ways to boost the MorePeaceCorps effort", from the work of affiliate groups to individuals talking to people about the importance of Peace Corps. "Peace Corps represented two of the best years of my life, and anything to boost it is worth the effort."
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This Month's Featured Advocate:
Joe Ford
Fairfax, VA
(Zambia 94-96)
Read More Below!
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